The hints aren’t so subtle, either. At the NFL Combine, general manager Dave Gettleman only went this far when asked about the 35-year-old Smith: “Steve’s had a great career, and the bottom line is, it’s part of the evaluation process.”

Maybe it’s not a breakup, but the Panthers obviously need a new leading man. Smith could take a pay cut, retire or play elsewhere. The priority is creating cap room to get a long-term extension for Cam Newton and making a call on unrestricted free agent, Greg Hardy.

Where does Smith fit into all of that?

“We have to read into things and we try not to, but when we speak of an individual’s career in the past tense, I think ultimately it would suggest that a team is moving on, and that’s all I can do.”